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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. key — the most important part
  4. suit — clothes
  5. plane — a tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. squash — the sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. foot — a measure
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. key — in music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com